New MES Owner - Foil or no Foil

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

weezmcfly

Newbie
Original poster
May 29, 2012
4
10
Menifee, CA
Hey everybody,

I just got a a MES 30 for my birthday and I am going to do some baby backs this weekend.  I have been reading a lot of the different posts and I am loving all the advice.  The big question I have is whether to foil or not.  I think I will probably try the 2-2-1 but my wife and I do not like ribs that are completely fall off the bone soggy.  I obviously want them to be tender and juicy, but I really want a nice crust.  Have you guys had success without using foil? 

Also, when you you sauce them?  Last hour, last 30 minutes?

Any advice is appreciated.  I want to make this a good smoke.
 
I have an MES 40 and have done them both ways.  IMHO, they are usually fall off the bone with foil.  I get more pull not foiling.  I personally like fall off the bone, but like more of a crust from not foiling, so I am kinda hard to please. 
 
Hello and welcome to SMF! How about swinging over to Roll Call and letting us give you a proper SMF welcome?

Make sure you have checked your cabinet temp with the display temp. MES are notorious for being off anywhere from 5* and upwards.

I have always followed a modified 3 hrs in the smoker after rubbing, 2 hrs in foil with a bit of liquid and only another .5 hr out of foil and onto a hot grill just to set the sauce. We don't like fall of the bone ribs, but rather a nice pull.

Would you please update your profile information to include your location?

We are looking to run a query on the database to see how many members we have in different areas of the country and across the globe. This will be important for planning meet ups, gatherings and events. We don't need specifics such as what part of town you live in or even what town you live in if you are uncomfortable with that, but we would like for you to at least insert a state and maybe even a region of the state.

As in Northeast Oklahoma or even Tulsa area, Oklahoma and that would have been equally good.

It will also be fun to see what states and areas have the largest representation here at SMF… We will post that information once we have it.

It also helps us to know the climate you live in if you have any smoking questions.

Could you help us out with this?

Instructions:

1.      Click on "My Profile"

2.      Click on "Edit Community Profile"

3.      Fill in or Edit the "Location" field

Thank-you,
 
I have done both and get less fall of the Bone without foil. You can start saucing during the last hour...JJ
 
I've now done them with and without. My experience is that foiling them makes them moist, very moist; but the unwrapping and finishing without foil lets YOU determine how dry or how much they pull. As a first timer, I suggest that you follow the 3-2-1 mantra to a T. If you you do, you must control the heat during the first stage. Too high or too low will drastically affect your results, IME.

Good luck. ANd, don't forget the Qview!
 
Hey everybody,

I just got a a MES 30 for my birthday and I am going to do some baby backs this weekend.  I have been reading a lot of the different posts and I am loving all the advice.  The big question I have is whether to foil or not.  I think I will probably try the 2-2-1 but my wife and I do not like ribs that are completely fall off the bone soggy.  I obviously want them to be tender and juicy, but I really want a nice crust.  Have you guys had success without using foil? 

Also, when you you sauce them?  Last hour, last 30 minutes?

Any advice is appreciated.  I want to make this a good smoke.
Hey weezmcfly,

Foiling or not does make a difference but, more important is the chamber temperature IMO. You want to maintain a factual 225°F smoker temp or close to it throughout the process. I'd suggest getting a quality thermometer to use in your MES if you don't already have one. Also, you should perform a boil test (212°) on the thermo (if you're going to buy one) to check it's accuracy, that way you'll know exactly what the temp is wherever you place the probe inside the smoker. I've always foiled my ribs (mostly spares) and liked the results, but I also like them fall-off the bone (not mushy) or close to it. If foiling, the amount of liquid one puts in the foil is crucial IMO.... put too much and you will have a hard time trying to put the racks back into the smoker or on the grill, because they will break apart. Good luck and don't forget to take some pics.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all of your suggestions.  I have an ET-73 already, so I will use it to check if my temperature is accurate.  I thnk I am going to try using foil this time and see how it goes.  Do you guys all use water in your pans, or do some of you go without?
 
I just did some this weekend in my SmokinTex (similar to MES) and they came out great using 2.5 - 1(in foil) -.5   cooked at 225 

You need to experiment with your smoker and adjust the times to suit your personal taste. Good luck and let us know if we can help
 
I have never used water in my pan in my MES since the first time I used it.  It seals so well that the added moisture is too much IMO. 

Bigfish
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky